Sri Lanka v England 2nd Test Match Thread

[Duty281]

First topic message reminder :

Not too early for this is it? After their 'heroic' defeat last Thursday, England will need a win to tie the series and preserve their no.1 ranking while Sri Lanka need a win or tie to win the series.

England's preparations haven't been helped by the fact that Broad will miss out due to injury while Sri Lanka's have been boosted by the news that Mathews will return from injury. Cricinfo predicts the following line-ups with two changes for each team:

Sri Lanka (probable) 1 Lahiru Thirimanne, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 3 Kumar Sangakkara, 4 Mahela Jaywardene, 5 Thilan Samaraweera, 6 Angelo Mathews, 7 Prasanna Jayawardene, 8 Suraj Randiv, 9 Rangana Herath, 10 Dhammila Prasad, 11 Suranga Lakmal.

England (probable) 1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Alastair Cook, 3 Jonathan Trott, 4 Kevin Pietersen, 5 Ian Bell, 6 Matt Prior (wk), 7 Samit Patel, 8 Tim Bresnan, 9 Graeme Swann, 10 James Anderson, 11 Steve Finn.

The pressure is really on Andrew Strauss, for his batting (justified) and his captaincy (unjustified). England's batsmen will also be feeling the heat as well - they haven't made over 400 so far this winter!

Keep an eye out for the rain, some is predicted on the first day. Game starts at 5:30 BST. Come on England!

[Mike Selig]

This is what I was expecting from England all winter. Disciplined bowling to restrict the opposition to below par scores, then batting them out of the game.

Pietersen making a mockery of thoughts of cautiousness. Personally I think that underlines just how good he can be. Everyone else has batted at strike rates between 30 and 50...

[alfie]

90 ...96...

Get 'em in singles ? Hah !

There it is ...

[Mad for Chelsea]

take a bow sir

[Mike Selig]

Wonderful wonderful knock. I can't emphasize enough how special this is.

[Mike Selig]

18 at lunch IIRC. 100 in a session very much on the cards...

[Guest]

well played KP!!!!!!!

he dosent need the switch hit!

[eirebilly]

Cracking ton KP

[alfie]

And yes , roakey , I am well aware you were all for taking it at the gallop.

You owe KP a beer or two ...

[Guest]

Just wow. Pietersen has turned this match around on his own. Bell deserves a mention for holding up the other end of the crease. Fantastic. Can't wait to watch the highlights.

[eirebilly]

This has to have frustrated the Sri Lankans, simply stunning from KP

[Mad for Chelsea]

Bell gone

pulls and gets a decent connection but it's straight to Randiv at mid-wicket. Not what England wanted just before tea...

[mystiroakey]

I would buy kp a beer anytime alfie.. And the rest of the team and all. Classic test cricket so far- everyone doing there jobs!

Sometimes a wicket can help the in game situ, my biggest concern with certain 'test' players is adjusting to ingame situs and increasing rates at the right time at possibly the detrement of there own figures!

However The most impressive thing to take from this match so far is what the top 3 did- Because when the openers do there job 'Test' cricket becomes easy and natual- and why you have the KP's in at no.4.

If the openers hadn't performed - kp would have had to have played a more mellow approach- which offcourse doesnt allways suit him and we end up being skittled!!

[eirebilly]

Bell gone

[alfie]

The switch hit has rather stirred things up has it not? It does cause problems when the bowler reacts by refusing to deliver ... So I guess that KP being banned from setting up for it now was inevitable...

Doesn't matter - he has won the battle and can destroy them from here with or without the party tricks.

Pity Bell couldn't join the party ... Good catch.

Prior's turn now ...

[alfie]

Herath enjoying bowling at a new batsman...

Not making it easy for Prior at the start.

[eirebilly]

A bit worried about Prior here.

[Mad for Chelsea]

KP playing for tea

he's scored 88 of the 109 runs England have scored in this session, phenomenal!

[Guest]

If a bowler can change his action, why can't a batsman? Stupidity has no place in cricket.

Seems as if KP has put in a stunning innings. If he can stay in for the day, England could grasp victory.

[Liam]

incredible ton, hopefully he goes on to make a big score, get a 200+ run lead and declare tomorrow just before lunch and give themselves a day and a half to win the match. Well played

[Mad for Chelsea]

yes but a bowler can't change his action without informing the umpires. TBH I think it's all a bit of a non-debate, there are very few players who actually play the switch-hit, and only KP who plays it that effectively. I don't think it's breaking any laws, so don't see why he shouldn't be allowed to keep doing it, but you are going to have a problem if the bowler as Dilshan was doing basically refuses to release the ball. I think Dilshan was just annoyed that KP was completely taking him apart to be honest

Another good session for England, they lead by 77.

Go on KP, make it a big one!

[eirebilly]

198/3 in 2 sessions with with 113 coming in the last session. Thats has put England in a very commanding position.

[mystiroakey]

incredible ton, hopefully he goes on to make a big score, get a 200+ run lead and declare tomorrow just before lunch and give themselves a day and a half to win the match. Well played

go mental -get to 450- declare with 30 mins to play tonight and we win!!

give em a day and a half and we give em a possibilty of a draw- this pitch may not crack.. there is that chance!!

[Guest]

we can bat till before lunch tomorrow, still give them day and a half tomorrow...we wont need more than that to bowl them out, plus then we have enough runs to play with.....we wont declare tonight.

[Liam]

myst,

Yeh that seems the better option, especially when Prior and KP are the batsmen.

[mystiroakey]

CF we bring a chance of a draw into play if we do that- I agree that we wont and agree we should get em out in 4-5 sessions- however if i was captain my stratergy would be more attacking

[eirebilly]

I think that Strauss will declare only when the lead is around the 200 mark and i think that will be done early tomorrow morning

[trebellbobaggins]

this is good, finally the press are right to talk about advantages.

[Guest]

we shouldnt declare before the close..

mysti if we declare before lunch tomorrow, that gives us 5 sessions...thats VERY ATTACKING to give them even that long!

strauss used to only give us 3 and a bit maybe 4 session to bowl them out..

5 is plenty, and very attacking!

[Liam]

Looking at the lead and the time left, England won't be anywhere near 250 lead. I'll stick by what I said first and say bat till lunch tomorrow, lead of 250-300 and like CF said we have 5 sessions to bowl them out on a deteriorating pitch.

[mystiroakey]

Well the fact is - I know we will take your stratergy and i hope it works. However i want to completly eliminate the draw. If the pitch cracks up we have won anyway, if it doesnt whos to stay they cant last out!

Personally id rather the decision get taken away from us- Hopeing for a calapse , but keep the rate up and get to 450- whats the point getting to 550 by lunch tommorow- why do we need that amount of runs!

[Guest]

we wont get to 550 tomorrow, we will probably get 450-475

[mystiroakey]

So what your saying is is that you would ather get to 450 by middle tommorow than 450 by end of play today(which is very possible)

[eirebilly]

Its a tough call CF. A good declaration will be an attacking one but Sri Lanka have the ability to bat 4 sessions and the could get a lead and lead leaving England with an almost impossible amount of time to win. I would chance my arm, get a 200 run lead and declare early in the morning myself. If KP and Prior have a swing and get the 200 run lead through the last session then i would declare and give the bowlers a few overs at the Sri Lankan batsmen.

[eirebilly]

Well we will see Englands intent now

[Liam]

I'm with Billy, these two and the batters down the order can get us a lead around 200 tonight, declare and have a cheeky half hour there with Swann bowling a couple of overs at the end.

[eirebilly]

1st ball 4 from KP

[Liam]

Forget the switch hit from KP, Trott's fake shot for four is the way forward!

[mystiroakey]

wow i have two peops agreeing with me today- noone yesterday. The opptimism is picking up

[alfie]

Depend a bit on how long KP bats ...

Of course one or two others can throw the bat.

If it doesn't rain there is something to be said for giving the pitch time to break up more before bowling ... Whatever , I reckon we'll probably get bowled out anyway , hopefully with a very big lead...

[Liam]

Pitch is appalling, proves why sub continent sides aren't producing many quicks, who wuld want to bowl seam on these pitches when they're growing up, ball bouncing multiple times before the keeper, ridiculous.

[eirebilly]

I just hope that Strauss told KP to keep doing what he has been doing and not become conservative because that could spell his demise.

[Liam]

great shot over extra cover

[mystiroakey]

So guys. Was it good to not choose monty?

I know its heresay and who was to know our openers would do there jobs.. however they have!!!

[Liam]

I think it was a good choice. monty's bowled well but he can't bat and he can't field. Swann has accepted his greater role since Monty's been dropped, and Samit can hold one end down no problem. Bresnan back in the side is always a positive.

[eirebilly]

Kp's 5th 6

[mystiroakey]

Does anyone think bresnan should become a regular.

Id have him as the morgan replacement..

monty or finn in dependant on wethere we wont 2 spinners or not..

obviously broad comes back from fitness. yep i know we have lost out on patel , however id take bres as that regular over him

[eirebilly]

Herath destroyed England in the first test but he is being shown up here buy KP. Stunning stuff.

[dummy_half]

We won't know the answer to the Monty question until the end of the match - so far his absence and Finn's presence has been neither here nor there in how the match has proceeded.

My suspicion from what is being reported is that the wicket is spinning a bit but that the turn is reasonably predictable and there isn't usually much bounce, so good players of spin can survive without too many scares. Facing someone of Finn's pace, bowling back of a length and with some bouncing and others scuttling along the ground could be a bigger problem over the next couple of days.

[eirebilly]

3 runs an over with a few big overs inbetween and England can get to a 200 lead today.

[mystiroakey]

prior gone- i suppose problem with kp doing so well is that others try and mirror him lol- and they cant!!

anyway no major dramas from my pov

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